Does Resin Memorial Jewellery Go Yellow? An Honest Answer From the Jeweller

Good quality, UV stabilised resin, properly cared for, stays clear and beautiful. The yellowing people warn about comes from cheap resin, from long exposure to strong sunlight, and from not following the care instructions that should come with every resin piece. Choose the right resin, follow the care card, and resin is one of the loveliest ways to keep ashes or hair close.

I am Julia Usher, a classically trained jeweller. I have made resin memorial jewellery at my bench in Staffordshire since 2017. I also work in four techniques that use no resin at all, so I have no reason to oversell it. This is what I tell people who ask me.

In short

• Cheap resin is what gives resin its bad name. Good resin is a different material.
• Good resin is UV stabilised. It is made to resist the yellowing that sunlight causes.
• A little care goes a long way. A few simple habits, set out on the care card that comes with every resin piece, keep it clear and bright.
• Resin is the clearest way to keep a lock of hair visible. Hair cannot survive the glassmaking process. It burns away, leaving only a trace of ash and tiny bubbles.
• If you never want to take your jewellery off, choose solid metal instead. I will tell you so.

What makes resin go yellow?

Three things.

Cheap resin. Resin made to be cheap is not made to sit against skin, in daylight, for years. Most of the bad experiences people describe start here.

Strong sunlight over a long time. Ultraviolet light slowly breaks resin down. It is the same with many things we treasure. A photograph left in a sunny window fades. The same photograph, kept well, lasts.

Care instructions not followed. Every resin piece should come with care advice, and mine comes with a care card. Follow it, and good resin keeps its clarity.

So when people say resin goes yellow, they are describing cheap resin, or good resin that nobody told them how to look after.

Does good resin go yellow?

Good resin is UV stabilised. That means it is made to resist the yellowing that sunlight causes, and it is the single biggest difference between good resin and cheap resin.

Even the best resin makers are careful to say that UV stabilised does not mean UV proof. I think that is important, and you deserve to hear it from me.

The truth is that anything we truly love needs a little care. A tapestry hung in direct sunlight slowly loses its colour. A treasured painting is kept out of the sun for the same reason. Very few things are untouched by the elements, and resin is no different.

That is why every resin piece I make comes with its own dedicated care card, alongside a commemorative card showing the date I made it. You will know exactly how to look after your special piece and keep it protected, so it stays clear and bright.

The resin I use

I use a premium, optically clear, two part epoxy resin. It is UV stabilised, with excellent resistance to ultraviolet light. It cures hard, tough and crystal clear, with good resistance to knocks and scratches.

I have never used cheap resin.

Why I still choose resin

If resin needs looking after, why use it at all?

Because resin does something nothing else can. It has the clarity of glass, and it can hold hair. And unlike glass, it will not shatter if it is dropped.

Hair cannot survive the glassmaking process. Glass is worked at a heat that burns hair away, leaving only a trace of ash and tiny bubbles, not the hair itself. If you want to see the hair you have kept, resin is the answer.

When I inlay a lock of hair into resin, you can see every strand exactly as it was. For many families, a lock of hair is the most precious thing they have. Resin is how I keep it visible, close and safe.

How to look after resin memorial jewellery

Every resin piece I send out comes with its own care card. The advice is simple and easy to follow, and it will help keep your piece clear and bright.

When I will tell you not to choose resin

Resin is not right for everybody, and I will always say so.

If you never take your jewellery off, if you swim in it, shower in it, or have your hands in water all day, choose one of my other techniques instead.

• Imprinted jewellery. Ashes or hair are imprinted, or rolled, onto solid metal. The piece is metal the whole way through, so you can wear it in the shower and in the sea.
• Laser engraving. A fingerprint or paw print is engraved onto solid metal.
• Titanium. Ashes or hair are held securely and unseen within the ring itself. Strong, light and made to be worn every day. You can see my titanium ashes rings here.
• Hidden ashes rings in sterling silver or 9ct gold. From the outside it looks like any other ring. Inside, a sealed hidden chamber holds a small amount of ashes.

A maker who works in only one technique can only ever recommend that one technique. Because I work in five, I can tell you which one suits the way you live. Often it is not the most expensive one.

Which should you choose?

Choose resin if you have hair, want to see what you are keeping, and are happy to take your piece off for the shower.

Choose imprinted metal, laser engraving, a titanium ring or a hidden ashes ring if you want something you never take off at all.

There is no wrong answer. There is only the right one for you.

Questions I am often asked

Is resin good enough for memorial jewellery?

Yes, when it is good quality, UV stabilised resin and it is looked after properly.

Can I have hair in memorial jewellery?

Yes, and you have more choices than you might think. Resin is the clearest way to keep it, because you can see every strand exactly as it was. Hair can also be imprinted onto metal, or held securely within a titanium ring.

Can I wear resin jewellery in the shower?

It is best taken off first. If you want a piece you can wear in water, choose imprinted metal, laser engraving, a titanium ring or a hidden ashes ring.

What if something goes wrong with my piece?

Email me a photograph. I will look at it myself. If it is a manufacturing fault, I will make your piece again free of charge.

A final word

The ashes or the lock of hair you send me may be all you have left of someone. Every piece I make is incredibly special, and I never take that for granted. That is why I will always tell you the truth.

You can read more about how I work, and the five techniques I use, on my page Why Choose Ashes Memorial Jewellery.

If you are unsure which is right for you, please ring me on 01283 260245 or email info@ashesmemorialjewellery.com. It will be me or my dad Mark who answers, and there is never any pressure.

Julia Usher, Ashes Memorial Jewellery